The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-01-14
Zoo THRILLING"
For the Grand jury Too Much for
the Justices Court.
To the Editor of TILE HERALD


About three years ago, more or less,
a burly-looking fellow, from the land of
"Leeks and Onions" made his advent
in Ogden City, travelling by means of a
"tie pass" before getting into the city,
however, he procured the names OF
quite number of people living here.
who were of the same nationality as
himself. He sailed under the euphoni-
Gus cognomen ofWilliamJ ohns claiming
kin with family residing here of the
same name, he managed to get into
their good graces, and finally succeeded
by false representations, in getting $50
from the old gentleman. He was
arrested, but the witnesses, taking pity
on him, declined to testify in the case;
the result was, the was discharged.
Were this the only instance of his
having procured money by this device,
we might be induced to forgive and for
get, but he has continued to ply his
nefarious business among the credulous
in the country towns and places. Early
here, he went into the house of a
citizen and represented that he had
broken his wagon tongue about two
miles out of town, and that he could
not continue his Journey until it was
repaired, but he had no meney to pay
for the necessary repairing. Tho sum
required was only two dollars. The
gentleman taking into consideration the
situation of the unfortunate Johns,
loaned him the money, which it is
needless to say, was never returned,
About that time the subject of this
writing espoused widow. whose prior
husband also bole the name of Johns,
and who. at his death, had left his
family well provided for. In this, as IN
all of his transactions, Johns got the
best end of The bargain and for short
time his pestiferous presence was not
so conspicuous among the people OF
this place. But the fact of his having
procured his liberty when charged with
unlawfully obtaining $50, coupled with
his deceitful inclination, and backed up
by the indigency attendant upon life
of drunkenness and slothfulness has
induced him to again resort to his old
and hitherto successful plan of getting
money; and oflate he has considerably
annoyed some of the people living IN
and around Weber County. This time
he has no broken tongues, nor trans
portation on freight to pay for but he
represents himself as being the owner
of large herd of cattle. some of which
be is Just about to sell and on the
strength of such statement he has OBJ
tanned money from quite number of
persons in Harrisv1lle and Willard City;
the amocnts, however, are small, being
generally about two or three dollars.
Johns was recently arrested for OBJ
tanning mouey by false pretenses, made
by one Lorenzo Fisher, of Harrisville.
The grand jury took up the case, but
were not long in coming to the conclu-
sion that it was too d. trif1ing for
them" consequently they ignored it,
Whereupon thet invincible Johns was
released; it beihg the second time that
the retribution contemplated by the
law for such an offense, has failed to
overtake him since he came to these
parts. He is now at liberty. feeling,
no doubt that his business is lawful
one, and that it can be continued with
as much safety as any other livelihood.
To man up tree it looks like law
and justice are at pretty low ebb. when
men like the subject of this writing, will
such fraud and trickery as is here re-
ferred to.
Word was conveyed to our city
marshal and sheriff from a Federal
official, that if they didn't stop arrest
ing men for such d trifiing things,
they were liable to get into trouble. 1t
seems that the dividing line between the
jurisdiction of the lower court, and that
of the upper court is so wide that
ntither court can try, as instanced in
this case-"too trifing" for the grand
jury, and too great for the justice of the
peace court.
There is one class OF offenders, how
ever, that may be convicted on the
slightest evidence, and against an over
whelming amount of rebutting eYi-
dence. II man is seen talking to
woman, supposed to be his second wife,
the officers will hop onto him like a
hen on Junebug. Consistency surely
thou art jewel.
MAHoNRI.